Metal window



E. K GEYSER April 9, 1957 METAL WINDOW 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT w B I M455 J. is

Filed Sept. 28, 1955 April 9, 1957 E. K. GEYSER METAL wmnow Filed Sept. 28, 1955 2 sheets-sheetvz E INVENTOR.

2- 5 MIL K. G: S R. 5 BY %w. $614), 92% wQwm METAL WINDOW Emil K. Geyser, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to E. K. Geyser Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvama Application September 28, 1955, Serial No. 537,142

7 Claims. (Cl. 189-75) This invention relates to windows having stationary metal frames, and more particularly to a frame that can be inserted in a window opening from the outside of the building.

Most metal window frames have to be inserted in window openings from inside of the building. In some cases, this is diflicult to do because of interfering posts or scaffolding which do not leave enough space for manipulating the frame into place. Also, being inserted from the inside, trim strips have to be attached to the outside of the frame after it is in position.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a window having a metal frame which can be mounted in place from the outside of the window opening, which can be installed quickly and easily, which is easy to manufacture, which is held in permanent position, and to which inside trim strips can be quickly and easily attached if desired.

In accordance with this invention angle bars are disposed in a window opening where they extend across its top and bottom and down its sides. Each angle bar has a front flange projecting away from the adjoining wall at the front of a rearwardly extending flange. Clips in the window opening are secured to the wall behind the bars and have front ends overlapping the rearwardly extending flanges of the bars to clamp the bars in place. A metal window frame in the opening is surrounded by front and rear flanges on opposite sides of the angle bars. The frame engages the front of the bars and has a front portion provided with an inwardly facing slot that is adapted to receive the periphery of a pane of glass. The clips have rear ends projecting away from the adjoining wall in front of the rear flanges of the frame. The flanges at the top and sides of the frame are spaced rearwardly from the rear ends of the clips. The rear ends of the clips at the top and sides of the opening are overlapped by locking members which engage the front of the rear flanges of the frame. The locking members are detachably connected to the clips to hold the clips against the frame flanges behind it. At the time this frame is being installed in a window opening, the locking members have not yet been attached to the clips. The frame is held in an inclined position with its top swung out away from the building, and then its bottom is in serted in the window opening and pushed back until it engages the front of the bottom angle bar. The top of the frame then is swung back into the window opening until the front portion of the frame engages the front of the top and side angle bars. Assuming that the angle bars have been correctly located, the frame now will be in vertical position. The locking members then are fastened to the rear ends of the clips in order to hold the frame in place. Trim strips can be applied to the inside or rear of the window by providing them with outside flanges that are pushed forward between the surrounding wall and leaf springs carried by the rear ends .of the clips. The springs tightly engage the flanges of p United States Patent Patented Apr. 9, 1957 the trim strips and hold the strips against the rear flanges of the window frame.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front or exterior view of the window;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section of the frame taken on the line II-II of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the frame taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a rectangular window opening is formed in the wall 1 of a building, which may be constructed from any suitable building material. At the top of the opening there is the customary metal lintel 2. Extending across the top of the window opening is a metal angle bar 3, which has a horizontal flange engaging fiat against the lintel, and its other flange extending down away from the front edge of the horizontal flange. Similar angle bars 4 extend down the sides of the opening against the adjoining wall. A like bar 5 also extends across the bottom of the opening, where it may be supported at intervals by metal shims 6. All of these angle bars are fastened in place by means of metal clips 7 secured to the surrounding wall.

Each clip is a short rigid strip of metal, the front portion of which overlaps the rearwardly extending flange of the adjoining bar. Behind the bar, the clip is provided with a slot 9, through which a stud 10 extends and fastens the clip to the adjoining wall. The bars and clips are locked together by turning the rear edges of the bars away from the wall and into transverse recesses 11, with which the clips are provided. These recesses can be produced by forming a crimp in each clip. Each recess is located so that its front wall will engage the inturned edge of the bar while the front end of the 'clip will sub stantially engage the front flange of the bar. A great advantage of fastening the bars in place by clips is that the bars do not have to be drilled, and the studs that hold the clips do not have to be located in any particular locations. For example, the line of stud-receiving holes in the lintel can be punched before the lintel is installed and need not register with any other holes because the clips can be placed anywhere along the lintel. The slots in the clips permit suflicient adjustment of the clips lengthwise to allow the angle bars to be located in correct position. The rear ends of the clips are turned inward into the window opening away from the surrounding wall for a purpose that will be described presently.

The prefabricated window frame that is mounted in this window opening is formed from head and sill members 13 and 14 joined by vertical side members 15 or jarnbs; all welded or otherwise fastened together rigidly at the corners of the frame before it is set into place. All of these frame members may be identical to one another, except in length. Each of the frame members is of general channel shape with front and rear flanges. The front flanges 17 extend outward in overlapping relation with the front flanges of the angle bars. Just behind the front flanges of the frame it is provided with a slot 18 that opens into a recess 19. The slot is designed to receive the periphery of a pane of glass 20 (Fig. 1), and the recess is filled with putty to seal the glass in place. Near the outer edges of the front flanges ofthe frame there are rearwardly extending ribs 21 that engage the front of the angle bars at the top and sides of the opening. The bottomangle bar, however, is located farther back in the opening than the others, so that the web or wall of the bottom frame member behind the putty recess can rest on top of the front flange of the bar as shown in Fig. 3. The back part of the frame rests on the upturned rear ends of the bottom clips. The clips are of such length that the bottom of the frame cannot avenues be moved either forward or backward on the supporting clips and angle bar.

The top and sides of theirame are held back against the adjoining angle bars by means of locking members 23 connected to the rear ends of theclips at the top and sides of .the opening. Eachlocking member is an L-shaped piece that overlaps "the rear surface of the inturned rear end of theadjoiningclip. The inner ends of the locking members engage the front surfaces of the rear flanges 24 of theframe, which do not project out as far as the position of theinner ends of the clips. The locking members .are detachably connected to the clips by means-of screws 25. Preferably, the outer ends of the locking members are spaced slightly from the clips so that when thescrewsiare'tightened, theiinner ends of the locking members willbe forced back against the frame to hold the front of .it tightly against the angle bars.

.The frame. is installed heforezthe locking members .23 are :fastenedxto the 'clips 7. To install the frame, it is picked up in front'of the window opening outside of the building, and its-top end istilted-awayifmm the building. The bottom ofzthe frameis (then inserted into the opening and lowered -until it rests on the bottom angle bar 5. The "bottom of the frame is pushed back over the bar as far as possible into the window opening, as indicated in Fig. 3, the tilted position of theframe permitting the bottom rear flange 24 of .the frame topass over the .upturned rear ends of the bottom clips. .The top of the frame is then swung back intothe window openinguntil the top and side ribs 21 engage the front of the top and side angle bars. The inturned rear ends of the clipswill not interfere with this movement of the frame because its rear flanges are short enough :to avoid striking the clips, as is obvious in Figs. 2 and 3. With the-frame now in upright position in the window opening, locking members 23 can be attached to the clips by means of :screws 25 to hold the frame imposition with its front part tightly engaging the'angle bars.

If it is desired to fill in the -space between the back of the frame and the top andsides of the window opening, which generally will be.the case, angular leaf springs 27 may be attached to clips 7'at the same time that the locking members are attached, by clamping them between the locking members :and clips. The .free portions of the springsextend :back along the adjacent wall and .havedoopstat their.rear.ends. Trim strips 28 are provided, which will-engage the headed the frame and the surrounding wall of the window opening. Each strip has a forwardly .projecting outer-side flange 29 which preferablyhas a beveledfront edge and 'anotch 30. The-stripis mounted: in placeby pushing it forward along the wall, so that its beveled edge will bend the adjoining springs away from the wall. When the strip is in correct position against the back of the frame, the looped ends of thespring willsnap into the notch and hold the trim strip iniplace. A tighter connection is formed between the'inner edge of :the strip an'd the window frame if the outside flangeof the istripha's fa 2rib.31 extending along it to space it from the wall. The pressure of .the springs against the strip fiangezin frontof the rib will tend to rock the strip on the rib and press the inner edge of the striptightly against the window frame.

It will be=seen thatthis-windowiframe not. only :can :be inserted "from outside of the window where there is plentyof room to work, :but'alsothat it is held in place in a 'simple manner. Thespace between the front of :the frame and the surrounding'wall'canbe filled with caulking material (not shown) in the usual way. The window panecan be-mounted in the frame either before or after the frarne has been installed. The trim strips inside of the building can berquickly snapped in place. .Amajor advantage of .this windowzis .that all '.four..sides of the frame can be made from lthezsame :stoclgand .the.sup-

4 porting members around the frame can be installed uickly with studs in random locations.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope 'of the appended claims, the invention may bepracticed otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. The combination with a wallhaving a window-opening through it, of angle bars in the opening extending across its top and bottom and:down.;its:sides, eachangle bar having a front flange projecting away from the ad joining wall at the front of a rearwardly extending flange, clips in said opening secured to the wall behind said bars and having front ends overlapping the rearwardly extending fiangesof the bars to .clamp the bars .in place, a metal window frame in said opening surrounded by front andrear flanges on .oppositcsides of .the angle bars, the frame engaging the front of said bars, and locking members fastened to .the clips at the top .andsides of the opening and engaging thefront of the ,rear flanges of .the frame; whereby :said frame can be installed in said opening .from =the front, before said locking members are fastened in-place, byfirst placing the frame in an inclined position with its bottom flanges straddling the bottom angle bar and .clips and then swinging the top of the frame back into said opening until the frame is upright against the front'of the angle bars.

2..In.the combination recited in claim 1, the rear edges of the angle bars being turned away from the adjoining wall, and each clip beingprovided with a transverse recessreceiving the rear edge of the adjoining bar to lock the bar and clip together.

.3. In theicombinationirecited in claim l, leaf springs supported by therear ends of the clips and extending rearwardly-therefrom, and trim strips in said window opening engaging the back of the rear flanges of the frame and pressed against the surrounding wall by said springs.

4. ln'the combination recited in claim 1, leaf springs supported by the rear ends of the clips and extending rearwardly therefrom, and trim strips in said window opening engaging theback of therear flanges of the frame and having .-side portions projecting forward between said springs iandthe surrounding wall, said side portions being provided with .notches receiving the rear ends of thesprings, whereby .the springs press the trim strips against said wall and hold them against the window frame.

.5. .The combination-with a wall having a window opening through it, of angle bars in the opening extending across its top and bottom and down its sides, each angle bar having .a front flange projecting away from the :adjoining wall at the front of a rearwardly extending flange, clips in ,said opening secured to the wall behind said bars and :having front ends overlapping the rearwardly extending flanges of the bars to clamp the bars in place, a metal window frame in said opening surrounded by front and rear flanges on opposite sides of the angle .bars,the-frame engaging the front of said bars, the;clips Thavingrear ends projecting away from the adjoining .walllin front of the rear flanges of said frame, the;rez1r flanges of LtheJframe at its top and sides being spaced. rearwardly from the rear ends of the clips, lockingrmembers overlapping the rearendsof the clips at the topzandsides-of-.the:opening and engaging the front of the rear flangesbf theframe, and means fastening the locking members to the clipsto hold said members against the framerflanges behind them; whereby said frame can beinstalled 1in:said opening from the front, before said locking members :are fastened .in place, .byfirst placing the .frame inzaninclined position withits bottom flanges straddling the bottom. anglebar and clips andthen swinging the top of the frame back into said opening until the flange of the bottom angle bar and the rear ends of the frame is upright against the front of the angle bars. bottom clips.

6. In the combination recited in claim 5, the outer ends of the locking members being spaced from the clips References Cited in the file of this patent to permit the inner ends of said members to be pressed 5 tightly against the frame flanges behind them. UNITED STATES PATENTS 7. In the combination recited in claim 5, the bottom of 2,475,885 Geyser July 12, 1949 the Window frame between its flanges resting on the front 

